


Sorry I Missed Your Call

by Quaxo



Series: Seven Years Too Late [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-02
Updated: 2013-05-02
Packaged: 2017-12-10 05:55:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/782576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quaxo/pseuds/Quaxo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The message is almost two months old by the time Steve gets it.</p><p>Set 10 years after 'Too Late'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sorry I Missed Your Call

The message is over two months old by the time he gets it. Left on Steve Rogers' answering machine, in Steve Rogers' apartment -- he'd been gone though, serving his country as Captain America.

Not many people have his home phone number -- or even know he has a life outside of taking down HYDRA nests, and of those who do have it most would have known he's been in South America... it's probably just a telemarketer or a wrong number, but he taps down on play button gingerly, and kicks himself as Tony's voice fills the silence.

"Steve...," Tony's voice is strained. "I guess you're busy right now, that's okay -- I'll probably be really embarrassed about this tomorrow, so maybe we should agree this never happened before it does," A weak laugh is followed by a loud sniff. "How do you do it? How do you be yourself and be what everyone wants you to be? Everyone wants me to be my dad -- Howard would have done this, Howard thought that --" A choked, brayed cry, "I don't know him -- I don't know how to be him -- but they all look at me and all they see is him... I just want to be me," There's the sound a hand coming up to muffle the receiver, but it can't completely mask the heavy sobs. 

Eventually the magnetic tape runs out and Tony's voice cuts off.

It's two in the morning -- Tony should be in bed, asleep by now -- and even if he wasn't, his roommate probably was (He was glad that Tony had taken his advice to live in the dorm, he didn't have near enough friends his age). 

He makes every intention of dropping in on Tony the next morning -- except that SHIELD got a hot tip a few hours about Baron Zemo and they couldn't afford to lose the time it would take him to detour to Boston -- and this didn't seem like the sort of conversation that should be had on the phone.

Really, he'd be back in no time, then he could take some time to check in on Tony and catch up a bit.


End file.
